Raleigh firefighters take part in effort to help rescue a hiker dangling from Grandfather Mountain in western NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A dramatic mountain rescue had Raleigh firefighters racing against the clock over the weekend. They helped save a 21-year-old hiker left suspended on a rope on Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina Saturday afternoon.

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Within 30 minutes after receiving a call from North Carolina Emergency Management, Captain Daniel Richardson said a five-member crew was in a helicopter headed to help.

“On the way there, we were dodging streams and tough winds. Once we got there, we located the patient and contacted the people on the ground up. Then we took a couple laps around and got a plan together,” said Captain Richardson.

Richardson and senior firefighter Jason Ceisner are members of the Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team. The statewide partnership brings together firefighters, the North Carolina State National Guard and state highway patrol for high-risk rescues.

“The highway patrol was actually the only ones that had an air crew on duty that day, and they were stationed in Raleigh. Because of the proximity to the technicians and the proximity to where the helicopter was located, we could be off the ground and run it faster than having to call air crews in,” said Richardson.

Richardson said the hiker may have been waiting for help for hours, but he held on until rescuers arrived.

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“Firefighter Ceisner went up into the helicopter first with the patient while I held the tag line to keep it spinning too much,” Richardson recalled. “Once the survivor was inside the helicopter, they sent down the cable and they picked me up.”

Ceisner said this was only the second air rescue mission he has done since being with the rescue team for almost 20 years. He adds HART members train every month for a wide range of emergencies.

“We can go into windows and flooded buildings. We can go down trees to simulate people who have been washed away and now clinging on trees. We also have a vehicle that we simulate that is submerged, and our air crews will put us into the bed of the pickup truck and then we will remove their victims,” said Ceisner.

They added the 21-year-old hiker was conscious when he was airlifted to a nearby hospital. They are still waiting to learn more about his condition.

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